This invention relates generally to a folding bed and specifically to a folding wall bed which is pivotable from a substantially vertical stowed position to a substantially horizontal functional position.
Folding wall beds for use in private residences, hotel rooms and mobile homes, commonly have a mattress and/or box spring supported by a frame which is pivotable from a vertical stowed position to a horizontal functional position. Most of these beds also have a stationary frame which often supports a headboard and a counterbalance mechanism. Such counterbalance mechanisms often consist of a plurality of tension springs or a cam, cable and compression spring device which aid in pivoting the mattress supporting frame. Alternatively, a few folding beds have used a counterweight panel for aiding pivoting movement. Such bed structures are discussed in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,373 entitled "Portable Folding Bed Cabinet," which issued to Luedtke et al. on Aug. 1, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,245 entitled "Counterbalance Hinge for Pivoting Loads," which issued to Bue et al. on Dec. 28, 1976; and, U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,494 entitled "Wall Bed Structure," which issued to Bennett et al. on Jan. 7, 1964, all of which are incorporated by reference herewithin. Furthermore, various locking devices have been used to maintain the mattress supporting frame in its horizontal functional position. Such a locking device is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,956 entitled "Wall Bed Structure," which issued to Bennett on Apr. 27, 1965, and is incorporated by reference herewithin.
By the nature of their pivotable design, many conventional folding wall beds require an excessive amount of floor space in both the vertical and horizontal positions. This unusable floor space is often detrimental since folding wall beds are typically used where floor space is at a premium. Some designs provide a pivoting location at the leading edge of the vertically stored bed close to the floor surface which, due to swing clearances required for the mattress and/or box springs and headboard, result in the entire bed being located some 18" to 24" from the adjacent wall when the bed is folded down to the functional position. This design does, however, allow the bed to be in close proximity to the adjacent wall when the bed is folded upright to the vertical stored position. Other designs that place the pivot point higher from the floor surface are a compromise at best. Because of the same required swing clearances, these designs result in a bed that is spaced some distance from the adjacent wall in both the vertical and horizontal positions.
Traditionally, many folding wall beds pivotably mount the mattress supporting frame partially within a specially designed cabinet enclosure or a wall recess. The cabinet enclosure is constructed so as to hide the mattress and underlying frame when pivoted to the stowed position. Furthermore, these cabinet enclosures often aesthetically cover the bed's hinging and counterbalance mechanisms. To effect this, some cabinets are equipped with folding doors and other designs incorporate a decorative panel fixed to the bottom of the bed structure. However, these cabinet enclosures can be very expensive to manufacture and commonly require additional floor space beyond the mattress supporting frame. Moreover, a person sleeping upon such a bed often has his head resting partially within the cabinet enclosure or wall recess thereby causing a claustrophobic perception. Some conventional wall beds use force generating tension springs for counterbalance that are installed in a manner to provide a pre-tension. This can require an undesirably high initial effort on the part of the user to start moving the bed from the vertical to the horizontal position.
Additionally, many conventional folding wall beds are bolted to the adjacent floor or walls. This can damage the underlying carpet, hardwood or tile floors. Therefore, an improved folding wall bed is desired that allows choice in mounting--either wall mount, floor mount or completely freestanding--without need of a separate cabinet and uses a minimum of floor space in both the vertical stored position and in the horizontal functional position, and is easier to fold down.